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I'm going Suez - sod the Cape. You've probably got more chance of getting run over by a bus anyway. Especially if you live in Auckland! And getting captured by pirates, whilst being very unpleasant I'm sure, would give you a story with far more cool points than getting run over by a bus. Survive that and you'll never have to buy a drink in a bar again. Survive getting run over by a bus and you'll probably get two weeks in hospital when no-one will visit you, you can't drink or smoke, and you'll probably end up with some antibiotic-immune super-bug. Or is that just the UK?

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I did a couple of weeks of work in Egypt in a Glassworks.

The guys at the factory were great ,friendly and helpful.

Lunch for these boys was cooked on a bare electric stove element with 2 wires soldered onto the contacts. All done on the floor of the workshop. :shock:

Camel cheese is pretty good by the way. :D

 

When I left the hotel, the 100 yr old looking operator of the lift (looked about the same age)brought me breakfast at 5 in the morning as I had an early flight. The smallest note I had for his trouble was 5 Egyptian pounds. The dude started to cry almost.

 

Out on the street was a whole different ballgame. The hawkers were relentless.

The Taxi drivers detoured to every carpet and paparus painting shop within 5 miles of the destination.

I just refused to get out of the car until they brought me a cold coke. Still didn't buy anything though!

It was hard to walk down the road there, worst I've encountered.

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I'm going Suez - sod the Cape. You've probably got more chance of getting run over by a bus anyway. Especially if you live in Auckland! And getting captured by pirates, whilst being very unpleasant I'm sure, would give you a story with far more cool points than getting run over by a bus. Survive that and you'll never have to buy a drink in a bar again. Survive getting run over by a bus and you'll probably get two weeks in hospital when no-one will visit you, you can't drink or smoke, and you'll probably end up with some antibiotic-immune super-bug. Or is that just the UK?

 

Whilst on passage towards Suez in the Gulf of Aden we heard several maydays on the radio, one was a lady on a yacht (there were a number of yachts sailing in company) saying they were under attack by pirates in three boats. We could hear what sounded like gun fire and one by one the radio callers stopped calling.

 

I do not know if anyone was injured or killed, but the yachties were lucky that a containership that was closer than we were was able to assist them and a Coalition warship was also close to hand.

 

The yachties were both very lucky and very stupid. One of the guidelines was that you do not use VHF radios while in that area as the pirates DF on you, the Yachties were always talking on the radio on Ch 16, we heard them for a couple of days as we were heading in the same direction as they were.

 

BTW - the three boats had chased us several hours before attacking the yachts.

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Just go.

We went through the Suez.

There were two attacks in the Gulf of Aden in the year we went through, 2003.

A few shots fired, one boat robbed and no-one hurt.

120 boats went through the Suez that year, just before the second Iraq dust up.

Pretty nerve racking part of the trip all the same, no VHF, minimal lights etc.

Also trying to keep a group of yacthies in your convoy on the same page is very difficult.

Some boats sail well, some don't, some motor well and some owners won't.

A lot of tension created when for the rest of the circumnavigation everyone prided themselves on their independence.

 

As for the money we met "cruisers" with budgets from US$500 a year ( plus charity ) to US$3000 per month.

By cruisers I mean no full time crew.

If you want to go, just go.

After all the angst of getting ready and leaving most will tell you that it is fair harder and more distressing stopping than starting.

Settling back in is surprisingly hard.

We mostly missed that wonderful range of people you meet from all over the world sharing an exciting experience.

They are non-judgemental, inclusive and go out of thier way to help people they have just met.

Then you get home and go to a barbecue and the topics are school choices and real estate

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The South Pacific is a big enough playground for us. When we have run out of places to visit and people to meet we may look at going further afield but after 2 1/2 years we are still exploring Fiji and have given Tonga a thorough going over. Having fun and exploring was our plan and we didn't feel the need to circumnavigate to achieve this. If we do wind up going all the way round it won't be a concious desire to but simply because we're averse to going upwind.

Currently sitting in Savusavu, our first bit of "civilisation" for 1 1/2 months. Sausage roll $0.60, meat pie $1.80, goat curry (delicious) $8. The bureaucracy here is a little onerous but all that is required is a bit of patience and politeness and all is good. The only money we have paid directly to the government for the joy of sailing in their country was FJ$40 for health fees when we first cleared in in '08. In 2 months we have eaten ashore on quite a few occasions (sometimes trading skills at resorts for a meal) and we spent a total for living costs plus some minor maintenance of FJ$700. So, not all doom & gloom.

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Couple of great posts in here. Thanks Guys. The Suez story was horrible, but you have to wonder when the guy hands over, what was it, US$450 in cash?? I'm not sure that I would do that easily. If you give in too quickly you certainly make yourself an easy target. The guys from these third world countries may be dirt poor, and uneducated, but they're NOT stupid. Many of them will have internet, ALL will have cell phones, and word of a sucker spreads faster than Hong Kong Dong...

Thanks pwedderal and darkside. Great stories and hope for my retirement yet!!

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I really don't want to highjack this but Kate's and my answer to this whole issue was to commit to cruising in home waters.

 

We've sailed in many parts of the world and had always thought we would take off and do it all again in slow time - but, when the time came to move, we have chosen to remain within home waters.

 

We had 4 1/2 months in the New Zealand Far North last summer and didn't even start to cover the ground.

 

Next summer we'll probably move south and return to the Marlborough Sounds/d'Urville/Tasman National Park area -where we grew up and (in my view) has never been surpased as a world class cruising destination.

 

Have you had a look at the rules for foreign vessels cruising within the not-so-very-consistant jurisdictions of the EU. It's a bit of a worry - particularly if budget is an issue.

 

But the bloody red tape!! I'm sorry to be a party pooper but the idea (promulgated by the EU) that one can't call a blood orange a BLOOD ORANGE, because it might suggest some sort of life threatening consequence (blood diamonds come to mind!) is too much for me.

 

DL.

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More good news

 

In an effort to try and control the movement of private yachts in the Galapagos National Park Area, new regulations have been introduced.

 

Yachts buying a permit to cruise the National Park Area will need to have tracking equipment on board (provided by the Ecuador Navy at a cost of $1700) and call at mainland Ecuador for Quarantine Inspection prior to arriving in the Galapagos.

 

The cheaper 5 port permit will be discontinued.

 

There is no change to the Transit Regulations which allow a stay of up to 20 days in one of the Ports of Entry.

 

Although these new rules appear to offer less options to visiting yachts for exploring the Galapagos on their own yacht, it is worth noting that the majority of cruising yachts that visit the Galapagos do so under the 20 day Transit Rule. The permit (Autographo) to cruise aboard your own yacht is both expensive, and lengthy/difficult to obtain.

 

The rules change frequently in the Galapagos, and tend to be applied inconsistently. Therefore local agents are advising to “wait and see”.

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The South Pacific is a big enough playground for us. When we have run out of places to visit and people to meet we may look at going further afield but after 2 1/2 years we are still exploring Fiji and have given Tonga a thorough going over. Having fun and exploring was our plan and we didn't feel the need to circumnavigate to achieve this. If we do wind up going all the way round it won't be a concious desire to but simply because we're averse to going upwind.

Currently sitting in Savusavu, our first bit of "civilisation" for 1 1/2 months. Sausage roll $0.60, meat pie $1.80, goat curry (delicious) $8. The bureaucracy here is a little onerous but all that is required is a bit of patience and politeness and all is good. The only money we have paid directly to the government for the joy of sailing in their country was FJ$40 for health fees when we first cleared in in '08. In 2 months we have eaten ashore on quite a few occasions (sometimes trading skills at resorts for a meal) and we spent a total for living costs plus some minor maintenance of FJ$700. So, not all doom & gloom.

 

Hey Pete what's the situation with cruising permits up there at the moment ?

Last winter when we did a delivery it was quite onerous

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